Insecticidal fumigator



UNHTED STATES rare QFFHQE.

HENRY L. SCH'ULZ, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO EALL TOBACCO CHEMICAL .COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

INSECTICIDAL FUMIGATOR.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may cmwern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. SoHULz, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insecticidal -Fumigators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fumigating preparations especially valuable for destroying insect life, for instance in green houses and like places and also available as an insecticidal or germicidal fumigator whereyer conditions are suitable for its use.

Broadly described the fumigating 'prepa' ration comprises a combustible base, a material for inciting or continuation of combustion, an insecticidal or germicidal medium liberated by combustion, and in some cases an additional substance for maintaining or prolonging combustion.

Nicotine is a very effective and valuable active medium, especially for insecticidal purposes and a leading object of the invention is to provide a composition including nicotine in a new and advantageous way so that its-valuable properties may be economically and effectively used forthe purposes indicated and especially for the destruction of insect life.

It has heretofore been proposd to burn tobacco leaves or stems, suitably prepared, for this general purpose, but the percentage of nicotine contained in natural tobacco isso small that alarge amount of fumigating material has to be handled, with correspond inlg undue cost both as to the material itse f and the labor involved. Tobacco has been also used in combination with other materials, but the percentage of nicotine carried with the tobacco is relatively small as above indicated. It has also been proposed to saturate paper with nicotine, but such material is relatively difiicult to pack and keep in proper condition; the nicotine dries out, or is otherwise dissipated from the paper, and it is diflicult to regulate the rate of burning and other characteristics of this material.

In carryingout my invention in one form I provide a suitable combustible base which may be any available finely divided cellulose,

preferably one which does not burn freely,

but smoulders in the process of combustion. Sawdust is one available material, but more Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A r, 11, 1922.

Application filed January 19, 1921.

Serial No. 438,442.

the desired combustlon qualities.

Such. tobacco material, usually stems,

therefore, is reduced to suitable fineness by cutting or grinding and is combined with a suitable agent for inciting or initiating combustion and for promoting orcontinuing combustion. Potassium nitrate (saltpeter) is preferred for this purpose in many cases,

but other chemical compounds, such as p0-- tassium chlorate, sodium nitrate and other nitrates or oxidizing agents which have the desired qualities may be employed when desired. I

With these materials is incor orated a desired percentage of nicotine. Since tobacco stems carry a certain percentage of nicotine, although not sufiicient for the present purpose, the nicotine, added, procured from any desired source, may be identified in some.

cases, particularly in the claims, as free, or added nicotine.

The composition in completed form is a substantially dry, comminuted or pulverulent mass, and any desired amount of it is placed in any number of suitable locations in the area to be fumigated, for instance, at a number of convenient places in a green "house, the material usually being arranged in cone-like piles on any suitable base, such as metal plates or any other convenient supports which may be provided. When the material is poured from a receptacle it naturally assumes this desirable cone-like form.

The material may be easily ignited by applying a match at the top of the pile, whereupon the potassium nitrate is first ignited and incites combustion of the base which gradually smoulders and drives off. the nico- 'tine in vaporous form combined with a dense white smoke, which assists in carrying the nicotine vapor, and the enclosure is quickly filled with these fumes so that the active destroyingagent is intimately brought incontact with all exposed surfaces of plants, soil and the house structure and very effectively destroys insect life in all forms that can be affected by vaporous mediums of this class.

As combustion proceeds the smouldering fire progresses downwardly in the cone of material and at every moment reaches fresh portions of the potassium nitrate which, therefore, continually tends to reignite the base material and insure the maintenance of combustion while the base material itself provides the main combustible body producing the principal part of the smoke volume and the greater part of the heat necessary to properly vaporize the active agent.

In some cases other or additional suitable material may be used for supporting combustion, such as finely divided or pulverized charcoal. This is a material which burns slowly with a red or smouldering fire, gives ofi' a desirable amount of heat and gas, and

is therefore desirable for theindicated pur-' pose.

When desired the material may be provided in the form of cartridges or capsules. For this purpose it may be pressed or molded in any suitable form, for instance in conical form and may be provided with wrappers for the individual cakes or cones, or not; or the material may be furnished loose in small or large boxes, cartons or cans. When molded into individual cakes or cartridges a suitable sticky or other agglutinous binder may be introduced into the composition.

In one representative embodiment of the invention the complete compound may have substantiallylihe following formula:

Ground tobacco stems, about 48 lbs- (60.7%) Potassium nitrate, about 16 lbs. (20.2%) Nicotine, (66%) about 15 lbs (12.5%)

Remainder in water (93.4%)

other materials may be substituted as pre-- viously indicated, for instance, saw dust or other suitable cellulose material may be substituted for the tobacco stems in some cases and other material, such as potassium chlorate, sodium nitrate and other nitrates or oxidizing agents, may be substituted for the potassium nitrate, and the percentages may be reasonably varied in accordance with the properties of the substituted materials. Also, when desired, a suitable proportion of another combustion-supporting material such as ground or pulverized charcoal, may be added.

The materials may be compounded, in one example, on the basis of the formula above given, in the following manner, although the exact method of combining the materials is not considered essential. The potassium nitrate is completely dissolved in a suitable amount, say about 18 lbs., of boiling water. This boiling solution is then thoroughly mixed with the ground tobacco stems until all the solution has been absorbed and thoroughly distributed throughout the stemmaterial. The ground tobacco stems are of a highly absorbent character and a correspondingly intimate incorporation of the solution is effected. The impregnated mass of stem material is then dried. WVhen sufli ciently dry, preferably in-the condition known as bone dry, the nicotine solution of desired strength and amount is' added and thoroughly mixed. The material is then packaged in any desirable way or it may bepressed into cakes or cones with or withou the addition of an'agglutinant.

The, method of use has been sufii cie ntly explained.

After considering theforegoing explanation of the nature and purpose of the inven tion, persons skilled in the art will understand that many variations may be made within those principles, and I contemplate the employment of. any composition or fumigating agent which is properly within the scope, of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fumigating compound comprising finely divided portions of tobacco leaf, combustion inciting material and additional nicotine.

2: A fumigating compound comprising finely divided tobacco stems, combustion inciting material absorbently combined with the stems, and additional nicotine.

3. A fumigating' compound comprising finely divided tobacco stems, finely divided charcoal, combustion inciting material and additional nicotine.

Signed at St. Louis in the city of St. Louis and State of Mo. this 14 day of Jan. A. D. 1921.

HENRY L. SCHULZ. 

